Immediately after Winter Break, the AHS Choral Department began to prepare in earnest for their biggest event of the year: Broadway Desserts. The event, held on Jan. 16 and 17, provided more than just cheesecake and brownies to the audience; it gave everyone involved a glimpse into various Broadway shows and raised funds for several upcoming chorus trips.
Tickets for Broadway Desserts, which took place in the Fine Arts building of George Mason University, cost $10 for the matinee and $20 for the evening performance. While this year’s sales numbers came in too late for this edition, last year, the choral department was able to raise approximately $8000.
This included the $3000 fee $3,000 paid to GMU for hosting AHS. This year, most of the money raised is going to the upcoming trip to Richmond, the spring trip to New York, and Germany in the summer.
The evening show lasted about two hours and had 40 songs. Most of the songs that the chorus sang came from the West Side Story and Cabaret.
AHS has a new chorus director this school year, Jessica Lardin. “Students benefit a lot from the unique performance they work hard on,” Lardin said. She also explained how she believes that it is a great chance for students to be able to work with a real theater that involves special lighting and opportunities. Although she is the new chorus director, she has not made any special changes to how the students may prepare or perform for the show. Lardin also hoped to raise just as much as the previous year because students rehearsed for a while beforehand and she believes they deserve it.
Choral Booster President Patricia Quezada has been working with the chorus department for two years now. She explains that the Broadway show has been put together for 14 years, but it still manages to be the highlight of the year for choral students. “It’s an opportunity [for the chorus students] to shine and have fun with the parents, volunteers and directors.” Quezada said.
Junior Abigail Flemming has been participating in the Broadway Desserts show for the past five years now, which includes middle school. “Everyone enjoys coming, so my favorite part of the show would be getting to perform,” Flemming said.
Preparing for Broadway Desserts is not all fun and games. Due to the cancellation of after school activities on Jan. 11, students in chorus had no choice but to rehearse on Jan. 14. It was a very hectic evening, as students rushed to get their hair and make up done and moved through the schedule quickly so that they could rehearse their part, because GMU only offered two hours of rehearsal.
“It’s a show and you get desserts, what else could you ask for,” senior Alan Van said, who has been participating in the Men’s Chorale for four years now and Annandale Singers for one.
The entire chorus department was in high spirits towards the Broadway Desserts show, and is hoping to have raised even more money than previous years.
